Golf tee



June 8, 1937.

s. E. THORUP GOLF TEE Filed Nov. 15, 1954 Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFrCE GOLF TEE Sidney E. Thorup, West Roxbury, Mass. Application November 15, 1934, Serial No. 753,154

7 Claims.

This invention. relates to golf tees and has for its object the production of an article of this class which is adapted to support a golf ball in proper position to afford a sloping approach for the golf club and which will allow a glancing blow from said club in case the tee is hit thereby, this glancing blow causing the tee to dive forwardly and downwardly for only a comparatively short distance where it may be easily located and used again. r

This object is attained by a tee constructed as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, one preferred form thereof is illustrated in the drawing, this form having been found to give' satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and the invention is not i limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described except as required by the scope of the appended claims.

Of the drawing:

Figure 1 represents an elevation of a golf tee embodying the principles of the present invention and showing a golf ball in dotted lines supported thereby.

Figure 2 represents a plan of the tee.

Figure 3 represents a rear elevation of said tee drawn to an enlarged scale.

Figure 4 represents a vertical section of same on line 4', 4 on Fig. 3.

Figure 5 represents a horizontal section of the stem of the tee on line 5, 5 on Fig. 4.

Figure 6 represents a section of a modified form of the stem on line 5, 5 on Fig. 4.

Figure '7 represents a modified form of the stem on line I, 'l on Fig. 8, and also on line 6, B on Fig. 4.

Figure 8 represents an elevation of a modified form of golf tee with the stem having fiat sides, and

Figure 9 represents a rear elevation of said modified form of tee.

Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

In the drawing, i0 is the pointed lower part or stem of a golf tee embodying the present invention, which stem is adapted for insertion into the ground and surmounting the part It] is an upper part or head I l, the top of which is provided with a concavity l2 to receive the golf ball and support the same.

As illustrated in the drawing the stem I0 is inserted into the ground for its full length and from the surface of the ground the head II inclines forwardly.

Preferably the pointed end [3 of stem i0 is beneath the rear part of the concavity I 2, thus making it easier, with a ball in the cavity I2, to insert the stem I 0 vertically into the ground.

The rear portion it of the parts [0 and H are wider than the front portions thereof, being preferably semi-cylindrical in cross section as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, thereby giving rigidity to the tee.

This rear portion could be made, if desired, with lateral flanges l5 as shown in Fig. 6 or in some cases the stem Hi and the head ll beneath, the top thereof may be formed with fiat parallel sides as shown in section in Fig. 7.

In all cases, however, the rear side of the head H will be inclined forwardly from the surface of the ground.

The front portion of the tee is plow-shaped with a sharp curved edge l5 extending the entire length of the tee, this curved edge terminating at the upper end in a point I! which is adapted to stick into the ground when the tee is caused to dive by being hit by the golf club.

The sharp curved edge It makes it possible for the tee to cut its way out of the ground when upset by the golf club.

The thickened portion of the head ll may extend only to the stem Ii] if desired as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, leaving the stem I [I fiat-sided, thus forming shoulders l8 which contact with the ground when the stem ID has been inserted fully into the ground.

By inclining the head ll forwardly a better clearance is provided for the swing of the golf club when hitting the ball.

Should the club hit the head II, it would give it only a glancing blow which would tend to upset the tee removing the stem Hi from the ground and causing the tee to dive forwardly and downwardly until the point I! has engaged the surface of the ground and come to a standstill.

Owing to this diving eifect on the tee, said tee will not move any considerable distance when hit and may therefore be readily located and picked up to be used over again.

When the tee is hit by the club there will be less resistance to the velocity of the club over upright tees owing to the inclined rear surface of the head.

When an upright tee is struck by a club the tendency is to drive the tee for some distance forwardly and most frequently upwardly while with the tee shown and described herein the tendency is to throw the tee only a comparatively short distance forwardly and downwardly.

The tee with its sharp curved edge I 5 and plowshaped section IS in the rear thereof produces the diving effect of the head of the tee when hit by the club.

In hard ground the tee when struck will come out of the ground easily owing to the plow-shaped Section 19 and then make a nose dive permitting the point I! to out into the ground, momentarily stopping the tee and minimizing the further travel of the tee and the possibilities of its loss.

The thickening of the rear portion of the tee prevents the breaking of said tee when hit, makes it easier to insert it into hard ground, and by the additional weight insures the tee making a nose dive when hit.

The tee may be made of any suitable material and colored as desired.

When the golf club hits the inclined rear surface of the head II, it will cause the sharp edge I6 to cut into the ground thereby inclining the tee further forward without affecting the flight of the golf ball.

The concavity I 2 is made very shallow and consequently when the golf ball is resting therein, the tee will have no efiect on the velocity or direction of the flight of the golf ball.

This is true even when the golf ball and the tee are both struck by the club.

When the tee is in use it is hidden from the golfer when making his stroke, thus obviating any mental hazard.

Owing to the inclination of the head ii there is less resistance when the tee is hit by the club and consequently the drive of the ball is lengthened.

The tee constructed as herein shown and described possesses many advantages not found in the tees now in general use as has been described.

It is believed that these many advantages will be obvious without further description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. A golf tee comprising a wide ball-supporting head surmounting a narrower pointed stem, said stem extending downwardly perpendicular to the top face of said head with substantially straight front and rear edges extending continuously from the bottom of said head to the point of said stem, said stem being adapted for vertical insertion in the ground and the sides of said head being inclined upwardly and forwardly from the top of said stem.

2. A golf tee as set forth in claim 1, in which the front edges of said head and stem are wedgeshaped.

3. A golf tee as set forth in claim 2, in which the rear part of the head is wider than the forward part thereof and the front edges of both said head and stem are wedge shaped.

i. A golf tee as set forth in claim 1, in which the head is provided with a ball-receiving concavity the center of which disposed above and forward of the point of said stem when said stem is disposed vertically in the ground.

5. A golf tee as set forth in claim 1, in which the head has its front face provided with an inwardly curved knife edge the lower end of which registers with the upper end of the front edge of said stem.

6. A golf tee as set forth in claim 1, in which the head is provided with a pointed projection at its forward upper end.

'7. A golf tee as set forth in claim 1 in which the front edge thereof is sharpened and extends continuously from the point of said stem to the top of said head, said edge having an inward curvature at the front of said head and being substantially straight and vertical at the front of said stem.

SIDNEY E. THORUP. 

